The bottom line is clear: Our vital interests in Afghanistan are limited and military victory is not the key to achieving them. On the contrary, waging a lengthy counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan may well do more to aid Taliban recruiting than to dismantle the group, help spread conflict further into Pakistan, unify radical groups that might otherwise be quarreling amongst themselves, threaten the long-term health of the U.S. economy, and prevent the U.S. government from turning its full attention to other pressing problems. -- Afghanistan Study Group

#4: A roadside bomb went off and wounded two civilians in Baghdad's southwestern Bayaa district, a police source said.

Diyala Prv:
#1: Gunmen in a car, using silenced weapons, shot and wounded Omar al-Dulaimi, the head of a journalists' association in Diyala province, in central Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad, a source at the Diyala operations centre said.

Jbela:
#1: Gunmen shot dead a man near his house on Sunday night in the town of Jbela, 65 km (40 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.

Iskandariya:
#1: Seven rockets landed in or near the U.S. military's Kalsu base near Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, wounding two Iraqi civilians living near the base, a local police source said. U.S military officials confirmed an attack but said there were no reports of casualties or damage.

Qaiyara:
#1: Gunmen opened fire and killed a doctor in his clinic in a village near Qaiyara, 290 km (180 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

Mosul:
#1: Police said they found the body of a man shot in the head and chest in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

#2: A roadside bomb went off near a police patrol, killing one man and wounding three in western Mosul, police said.

Afghanistan: "The Forgotten War"
#1: A suspected U.S. drone fired missiles at a house in northwestern Pakistan near the Afghan border early Tuesday morning, killing seven alleged militants, Pakistani intelligence officials said. The strike occurred in Miran Shah, the main town in the North Waziristan tribal area, a key hub for Taliban and al-Qaida militants, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

#2: Officials in the ministry of affairs of Afghanistan following an statement on Tuesday said, at least five militants were killed and 12 others were injured following military operations by Afghan security forces during the past 24 hours. The statement further added, the militants were killed following Afghan and coalition forces operations in eastern Nangarhar province, Helmand and Kunar provinces.

#3: In the meantime, officials in the ministry of defense of Afghanistan also announced that Afghan national army forces have launced an operation in eastern Paktia province to clear the militants from the area. The officials in the ministry of defense of Afghanistan further added, the military operation will last for five days, which will focus on various regions of eastern Paktia province.

#4-5: Two soldiers based at Fort Wainwright were killed over the weekend by land mines in Afghanistan, the Army announced Monday. Spec. Calvin Matthew Pereda, 21, died Saturday in Kandahar province from injuries he suffered when an improvised explosive device went off while he and his unit were on a dismounted patrol. Two others in the unit were wounded. Sgt. 1st Class Johnathan B. McCain, 38, was killed Sunday while on a mounted patrol in the Kandahar province. A homemade explosive also injured six other soldiers in the unit, the Army said.

#6: According to local authorities in southern Afghanistan, a tribal elder and two Taliban militants were killed following clashes in southern Helmand province. The officials further added, the incident took place in Garam Ser district of Helmand province. Provincial governor media office following an statement confirming the incident said, Haji Abdullah Khan a tribal elder was killed in Garam Ser district of southern Helmand province by the armed militants.

#7: One policeman was killed and 17 civilians wounded when a bomb exploded on Tuesday in the Ganj Bazaar region in the Ghormach district of Faryab province, northern Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

#8: Pakistani soldiers backed by artillery clashed with Taliban militants in the northwestern Orakzai region on Tuesday, killing 28 militants and wounding 25, government and security officials said, part of an ongoing campaign. Orakzai is one of seven ethnic Pashtun tribal areas where the Pakistani army has tried to root out militants with offensives against their strongholds in the past years. There was no independent verification of the casualties and militants often dispute official figures.